50 Years Ago

In Nature of October 12, 1957 ... we were glad and proud to congratulate the scientists and technologists of the U.S.S.R. on the successful launching of the first artificial Earth satellite (Sputnik I). Less than a month afterwards ... we again had occasion to congratulate the U.S.S.R., when the second satellite (Sputnik II) was launched, this time containing a dog ... Now again, on April 12, a still further point in scientific advancement was reached, for on that day scientists and technologists in the U.S.S.R. reaped a rich reward for concentrated and ingenious research by successfully launching another space-vehicle (Vostok) into space. This satellite carried, among other things, a man (Major Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin), travelled in orbit around the Earth in 89 min. 6 sec., and a little later was brought back safely to Earth, with Major Gagarin unharmed — all in about 108 min.

From Nature 22 April 1961

100 Years Ago

The first non-stop flight from London to Paris was made, on April 12, on a Blériot monoplane by M. Pierre Prier in 3h. 56m. M. Prier, who is the chief instructor of the Blériot School at Hendon, left that ground at 1.37 p.m., taking a course for Dover via Hampstead, Highgate, Greenwich, Chatham, and Canterbury ... [H]e reached Dover, at 2.50 p.m. Thirty minutes later he was over Boulogne, and steering a straight course over Abbeville and Beauvais for Paris, where he arrived at 5.33 p.m., making a perfect landing in front of the Blériot sheds at the Issy-les-Moulineaux aviation ground ... M. Prier ... suffered no inconvenience throughout the journey except slight inflammation of the eyes, due to his neglecting to equip himself with goggles.

From Nature 20 April 1911